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Konfliking Opinion – Bolt action 2.0 in K47

This week clockwork goblin announced that they had finalised what rules are coming from Bolt Action 2 into K47 there has been wild speculation for a while on this and we deliberately stayed away from it primarily because right at the start when we set this blog up we decided we are going to stick to out of the book rules to make the blog as accesseable as possible (i.e. Not using house rules or other changes readers might not get) so what ever the changes that come we will play. However we thought it would be fun todo a bit of wishlisting! Enjoy! Agree or disagree we would love to hear from you.

Simon – Soviets

I’m looking forwards to quite a few things coming over from the second edition of the rules, as a result I’m going to pick my 5 things that I would choose to change to limit myself. I’ll go through the things I’m happy with below, along with my reasons for being happy about them. I’ll start with the most controversial.

1. Templates. Wait – put the pitchforks down! Hear me out!!

The current HE rules for anything other than a light howitzer more or less guarantees the death of a small team or unit. Now, you’ve at least got a chance of saving that mortar team if they get sniped by a medium howitzer.

Templates will encourage people to spread their models out more, which makes it likely that people will take more damage hiding behind buildings (they had no reason to do this previously)

Small units on large bases (bears, nachtjaegers etc) are now more survivable and less likely to get one shot nuked.

2. Assault rifle range. I’m happy with this for a couple of entirely selfish reasons.

It means all the US and German heavy infantry have to get into range of my heavy infantry’s guns if they want to shoot me.

It means that the Assault rifle isn’t the automatic choice for all units that can take them.

3. Flamers Rolling to Hit

Honestly? Do I need to explain this further?

4. Transports can use their Machine Guns

Finally! – My army doesnt have armoured MMG equipped half tracks in K47, if I did, why would I buy them for 80+ pts if they only get to use those weapons whilst they’ve got troops in? As it currently stands, if I buy a truck with an MMG for my Bears, they can shoot the MMG whilst they’re in truck, but the crew can’t! This makes, literally, no sense whatsoever.

I also like that the crew can only fire ONE of the weapons that they’re equipped with. This means that we won’t have 1 HMG, 3 MMG monster M3’s rolling all over the joint. The last thing the Americans need at this point, is more dakka.

5. Snap to Action

At present the HQ is a tax that you have to take. Your LT team often spend their time hiding so you don’t give up a soft vp

Now you have the ability to represent your heroic leaders in your K47 force. My Russian Commander (Comrade Porn’stache) will be able to whip his recruits into action

James – Germans
In preparation for Rift wars I have played Bolt Action 2 with K47 reactions and close combat and it played pretty much the same so I’m not fearing the changes. I liked the upgrades to MMG and LMG they didn’t feel like an overpriced option anymore. The new snap to it rule is defiantly interesting and opens up more tactical options plus it makes s 1st Lt more tempting.

Templates are what they are I personally don’t think they will make it across into K47 but if they do that’s ok, I didn’t find the game slowed down and it makes those hideously overpriced heavy and super heavy anti tank guns more viable! Wasn’t a fan of the new recce rule it feels like a saving throw against not pulling the first dice now the K47 version was a better fix for me. I also don’t like down being -2 to hit as it feels like to much of an easy choice but these are fairly minor quibbles.

I guess the one change I hope doesn’t make it is flamethrowers for the most part a lot of the really powerful options aren’t in K47 and it really bugs me that an infantry team can fire, miss, roll a 1 and die! But I have to say for me it doesn’t matter what the changes are as I can’t see me stopping to play any time soon as I think they have done an excellent job on K47.

Shipman – USA

I’ll be honest, my viewpoint is more theoretical. This is mainly due to the fact that with the #streakofshame just passing its 19th game (still no win!) I’ve been focusing on the K47 rules as written.

However from my quick read of the book, and listening to there are a few things that jump out.

I like templates. This is due to the fact howitzers are currently wonder weapons which make several builds that would be fun, fluffy or both unviable. Templates mitigate that without nerfing them completely.

I want the snap to action rules to come across for one reason only – Slammer Samuels. At his current points he’s a very pretty handicap, with the command rules him +3 units in 12″ makes an en mass charge of the HI brigade viable and frankly appealing.

Shaped charge – as a man who love bazookas like a fat man loves cake, the removal of -1 to hit for shaped charge would make them viable and more fun to play with. I’m really crossing my fingers for this one!

The timing of this KO question seems to be another expression of Simon’s “humour”. Mainly because he knows just how excited I am to finally get my fireflys, complete with flame thrower. Just in time for them to make them roll to hit. Once again the anti-shipman conspiracy swings into action!

Finally, in a small detail which may seem strange, the changes to the artillery and air strike rules. The artillery screw up on a 1 has had the distance it can be moved reduced. Also the aircraft type table has been split equally between the three types. With this and the far fewer hits needed to drive aircraft off means they are no longer the death mark they were in V1 and when they do screw up, might be less terrible for me…..er I mean the controlling player.

For me, if they keep the parts that K47 really improved – reactions and 2 stage combat – and incorporate V2 changes, they’ll be onto a winner.